From the Core
by FlightAngel
Summary: What happens when Ivan, Jenna, Garet, Mia and Kraden are 'accidentally' left behind by Felix, Isaac, and Piers? How will they survive? How will they survive with each other? Djinn, Gods, and Love is somehow twisted in...
1. Book

From the Core

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Chapter 1 - Book

Disclaimer: None of my characters and the scenes all take place in Osenia! Yep! The characters are taking a little break before actually lighting the lighthouse...

* * *

If you look deep enough, you will soon find the core...

* * *

Felix lay on the bed, his head rested upon his pillow, staring at the bottom of the mattress above him. Loud snores erupted the peace of the night and Felix groaned. Flipping over onto his stomach, he took his pillow and attempted the muffle the sound with blankets upon blankets. A light was switched on, a young teenager with ruffled blonde hair stared sleepily at the bed above Felix.  
  
"Garet! Shuddap already, your waking the whole place up you dope!" Ivan whispered harshly and there were sounds of agreement from the other bunkers. Felix raised his head and told them, "Eh, better not try — Garet sleeps like a log." Moans rose from the beds.  
  
Ivan snorted and stumbled over to Garet's bunk. "Trying." Ivan took hold of a side of Garet's cloak and abruptly pulled him down. Felix stared as there was a thunk and a yell from the harassed fire adept and harsh scolding from Ivan and then both retreated to their beds.  
  
After a few minutes the snoring started again, and Felix rolled his eyes. This lasted for about ten minutes, until Garet suddenly screamed in his sleep, "Help me MOMMY!"

Ivan kicked him.

* * *

The Djinn carefully nosed around the musty sack, poking its nose into the soft foldings. Twitching its tail lightly, it stepped all the way into the sack, interested with the smell that arose from the bag. Something suddenly snorted and the Djinn squeaked, crashing off the table, scrambling to its feet and taking off behind a certain aqua-haired guest.  
  
Alex gently rubbed his hand against the squeaking Mercury Djinn's head, calmly soothing it as it quivered with fear. Taking his rucksack, he opened it and the Mercury Djinn suddenly hissed with anticipation, its horns bent back and growled, "Fire, Fire!"  
  
Alex took the Mars Djinn out and the Mercury Djinn escaped into its little basket by the bed. Sighing, he set the Mars Djinn down on the table where it just stared at him and called- "Serac, come out and meet Fugue." Serac just poked her head out of her basket and snapped, "Fire!" before sticking her head back in and started sulking.  
  
Fugue rested in Alex's arms as he carried him and the offending basket ("Fire! Fire!") Down the stairway and a man came downstairs and called, "We're ready to set off. Shall we go?" Alex nodded his head and the man left. Staring out one of the glass windows at the waving ocean, Alex chuckled to himself.  
  
"I've always wanted to travel."

* * *

Felix had his cheek set on the cold tabletop, his eyes half-closed as he fought against nausea the boat was causing him to have. Piers sat next to him, looking worriedly at his brown-haired friend and his golden eyes rested upon the open book that lay in front of him.  
  
"Felix." Piers said bluntly, but the younger man just grumbled a reply. Sighing, Piers carefully lifted the dusted-covered book and slowly turned the pages. He dropped the book and glared at Felix.  
  
"Felix, what's this!?" Piers said in a shaky voice, "Where the heck did you get it?" Felix looked up slowly unblinkly. He rested his cheek on the tabletop then started to doze. Piers took the book and roughly threw it overboard, watching it sink under the water. Felix suddenly jumped up, knocking over the offensive wooden chair and made a lunge for the sunken book, but Piers held him back.  
  
Holding his chin in his hands, Piers kneeled beside the sweating leader and whispered, "Did you know what that was?" Felix gingerly shook his head. Piers sighed. "You haven't answered my question."  
  
"What question?" inquired Felix daintily though a bit tauntingly as well.  
  
"Where the heck did you get it?" Piers repeated himself. Felix realized Piers' hand was still clutching his chin.  
  
"Could you mind letting go?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Echo was sniffing my belongings and I knocked her over the countertop. She ran squeaking like mad and I chased her into Jenna's room. I found the book in Jenna's sack." Felix said, a bit droningly and toneless but he had said it.  
  
Piers' eyes softened and he let go of Felix's chin, though he still seemed to glare at him. Sighing, the Lemurian ran his hand through his hair and muttered to himself, "Good thing he didn't read that last chapter..."

* * *

"Why did you have to drag me out of bed?" Garet huffed, gelling his hair inside the bathroom he and Ivan shared, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Ivan just glared behind his back, eyes narrowed and he stuck his tongue out at him.  
  
"I wouldn't have to if you wouldn't just snore that loud and so into the night!" Ivan retorted, undressing himself to his pants, which he left on (of course). Packing his nightclothes into his bag, he pulled out his cloak and staff, running his fingers along its smooth surface. Garet raised an eyebrow as Ivan grinned.  
  
"I can still remember the time Sheba gave this thing to me..." Garet scowled darkly, then went back to gelling his hair, leaving the wind adept to change clothes in peace.  
  
After the two men were done, they stumbled down the wooden steps of the inn. Jenna was arguing quite loudly with the innkeeper, both of them asking for one price or another.  
  
"I swear the inns at Daila were cheaper then this!" Jenna argued darkly, dragging in comparison to the argument. Fortunately, the innkeeper had a neat comeback.  
  
"And I swear that the inns at Daila are known for their musty beds and dirty food!" Jenna ground her teeth in the growing flame between her and the poor innkeeper. She had a decision to make- Give in and agree to the innkeeper- or – Blast her to death and get run out of town.  
  
However, this choice was not hers to make. Ivan smirked evilly, his pretty blonde face had become a sinister dark mask and he strode over to the innkeeper and slapped down 100 coins. "Good enough for you?"  
  
Jenna glared daggers at Ivan, but they left the little musty inn into the sunlight, where the sand was powdered gray and soft shoots of emerald grass stuck out of the dirt. Jenna had her auburn hair tied up in a nice shiny ponytail, her brownish eyes dull and her face smooth and unwrinkled. Garet looked at Ivan questioningly.  
  
"Where did Felix, Piers, Sheba, Kraden and Mia go?" Garet said innocently, "And I know Isaac's somewhere in town..."

* * *

A Djinn dozed in the meadow as it watched its skilled master train, waving his sword through the air, as if slashing at the atmosphere itself. Yawning, the Djinn sat up on its plump muddish body and it waddled over to its friends, which had plopped themselves around a fallen log and were sniffing carefully.  
  
"Log?" One of the Djinn, one with a small scar between its eyes, chirped lightly, nudging it with its nose. Another Djinn, this one a runt, jumped up and down upon it, making bark fly in all directions and hitting elder Djinn who glared at the youngster.  
  
"Bark." It said apologizing for its act and hopped down from the others and decided to sulk in the leather bag their master had designed for them. The Djinn all crowded around the log, an occasional, "Wood!", "Dark!", "Ooooh!", "Ahhhh!", and "Aak!" erupting from the bustling crowd.  
  
Isaac sheathed his sword and wiped a handkerchief over his sweaty forehead and pulled off his heavy cloak, resting it on a tree branch and deciding to see what his little Djinn were up to. Walking slowly to the clearing his mind was on many things...  
  
(I wonder where Felix and them are...) He brooded to himself, (I wonder if they noticed I was gone... I told Garet but I think he forgot about it already...) the runt saw its master walk forth and it excitedly jumped out of the bag and landed on its master's shoulders.  
  
Isaac, startled practically threw the poor Venus Djinni to the ground and he caught himself just in time. Taking the Djinni squarely by the tail, he faced it while it hung in midair, "Geode! What are doing here, not playing with the others?"  
  
"Bark." Geode replied sadly and decided that he like hanging in midair. Twirling, he tried to bite his tail (even though Isaac was holding it) and instead, looked like it was trying to do a somersault with its tail pinned up like 'pin the tail on the donkey'.  
  
Chuckling, he set the Djinn down and watched as it skittered to its friends, as they seemed to be squealing of excitement or fear.  
  
(I wonder what you'll grow up to be,) Isaac thought, (Maybe you'll be the strongest of them all...)

* * *

And as everything happened at once, a book was sinking through the layers of the ocean, only to be picked up again by a curious merman...  
  
TBC... 

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Author's Notes: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! These were little things I just made up! Quite fun, actually! See you next chapter! (Please Review!)

Piers: . . .

Feliz: I don't act like that!

Ivan: I don't kick people...

Garet: I don't snore...

Jenna: I've never yelled at an innkeeper before...

Mia: WHAT ABOUT MEEE!!!!???

Kraden: What-

Author- SHADDUP!!!!!

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	2. Ship

From the Core

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Chapter 2 - Ship  
  
Disclaimer: None of my characters and the scenes all take place in Osenia! Yep! The characters are taking a little break before actually lighting the  
lighthouse!...

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To strike at its roots... it is a crime...

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Rain pattered onto the sleek sidewalk as three soaked adepts rushed out of the shelter of the trees and into the storm. The unexpected howls of the hurricane had begun a few hours ago; quickly gaining gray clouds and swirling hail and rain. Ivan unbuttoned his cloak and covered the other two as they ran down slick mud trails and to a small shelter in a clearing.  
  
Jenna growled angrily, her red hair soaked and stuck to her skull and her ponytail had fallen out; her auburn hair mussed up to her back. Rinsing her hair under a small ledge in front of the door, she glared angrily at the clouds gathering. Ivan knocked on the door, a hollow sound echoing within and without. The adepts waited expectantly, but when there was no answer, Jenna stamped her foot.  
  
"Open the door, out here, we're soaking wet!" She bellowed at the wooden door, which seemed to tremble at her anger, but Garet seemed to see that it was still trembling from the outside.  
  
"Maybe Kraden's asleep," He suggested tentatively, "You know how old people snooze at random times..." Ivan shook his head and Jenna scowled as drips of water were splashed upon her face. "If Kraden was asleep, then Mia would answer the door..."  
  
Jenna took this chance to smirk at Garet who stuck his tongue out—"Look what you know fire boy!" Garet refused to back down in this argument, "What if they're both asleep?" Jenna clucked mockingly, "Unlikely."  
  
"Shuddap, you cow..." Garet muttered, but Ivan traced it anyways and sniggered openly, which caused Jenna to stamp on Garet's foot... "Look whose talking, porcupine!" Garet widened his eyes and whirled to face her, "PORCUPINE?!" Jenna ignored his protest and started chanting, "Porcupine, porcupine, porcupine...!" Garet growled and attempted to swipe her face, but she ducked and Ivan muttered, "Feel the love..."  
  
Ignoring his randomly insane friends, Ivan banged the door again, before, suddenly, the door creaked open and light poured out into the rain. Jenna stopped squabbling with 'Porcupine' and gingerly pushed Ivan away and into the household. Ivan grumbled, pulling the cloak from his head and buttoning it up, his hands within, and Garet came in last, sulking because Jenna had thrown a well hit mud ball at him, hitting his spiky porcupine hair, which now looked like something crawled up his back and died on his scalp.  
  
Jenna shrieked loudly, piercing the silence, and caused Ivan and Garet to rush towards her, Garet, with mud flying everywhere, and Ivan, his robe flopping sloppily from his arm, which was clasped around it. "What, what?!" Jenna had been leaning against the wall, and she pointed at the middle of the room, and the other two felt like vomiting, well, Garet to be exact, and Ivan lay dizzily on the floor, against the wall.  
  
"Oh...my...gosh..." He whispered, before passing out cold on the floor...

* * *

Felix lay, his hands resting upon the side of the ship and gazed at the ocean longingly, for something, even he did not know. Sighing, he ruffled his hair and went back to the table, where Piers and Isaac were arguing thoroughly about why Isaac had been late. Piers had his hand to his temple, which seemed to be throbbing and Isaac had this ghastly look on him that screamed – "YOU WILL DIE!!!!"  
  
"Heck, no, where are the others?" Piers growled, and Isaac scowled darkly at the Mercury Adept. "How the [censor] do I know?!" He growled back and Piers narrowed his eyes. "You left them alone?" He shouted and Isaac shot back, "Well they're not babies!" "[censor] you and your [censor] [censor]." Piers muttered and Felix rolled his eyes, gently touching the adept's shoulders, signaling him to back off. Isaac and Piers glared at each other one more time before getting up and going to the other sides of the ship.  
  
Squeaking rang out from the cut silence and Felix raised an eyebrow, where Piers hastily griped at something overboard and Isaac was shrieking something very inappropriate. It seemed like a poor Djinn had been leaning towards the calming wind, and was too absorbed to notice that it had been leaning over the railing, and only noticing when it was too late—it had fallen overboard and was squealing madly, shouting bloody murder.  
  
"Stop struggling, Fizz! I'll get ya out of there!" Piers gritted his teeth as, in her panic, Fizz had bitten down hard on his hand, and he pulled her up onto the ship. He cast ply on himself before staring intently at the sulking Djinn at his feet. "Fizz, how many times do I have to tell you, DON'T GO NEAR THE RAILING???" Piers drawled and Fizz hung her head guiltily. She didn't really mean it. She had sensed a storm and was trying to catch its scent.  
  
"Storm." She chirped and hopped onto Piers foot, quickly climbing up his leg, up his torso and onto his shoulder. "Storm coming North, North, coming Storm." Fizz wriggled uneasily, wondering if this explanation would explain her unruly actions this morning. It seemed so, for Piers sighed exasperatingly, and put her back into his pack, where she snuggled into its folds and eagerly told her friends about her adventure.  
  
Felix chuckled and looked sideways towards the harassed adept that found it comfortable to lie on the deck, backside down, and stare at the gathering clouds, "That Fizz of yours is a real handful." Piers snorted and turned around, facing him.  
  
"I wouldn't be too braggy if I were you," He retorted, "That Echo's going to get you in big trouble when Jenna finds out about that missing book." Felix paled and shook his head, "Don't worry. When she DOES find out, I'll be gone." Piers raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"When she finds out, I'm jumping ship(see below)."

* * *

  
  
It had started out a beautiful day, the sunlight had been pouring in from the cracks in the windows and the Djinn had finally fallen asleep under its soothing gaze. The house had been washed and scrubbed through and through, and Mia had swept her hand across her sweaty forehead, rinsing the cloth and pouring the suds outside, into the grass. She smiled inwardly, proudly, to finally have cleaned the mess that had been there when Kraden had rented the little hut from a kindly vacationing villager.  
  
Mia plopped herself onto a soft, comfortable seat and untied her curly white apron, which she hung on a nearby chair and sighed softly, snuggling into the mushy seat which swallowed her arms and legs smoothly. Kraden had fallen asleep reading a leather-covered book, and the house was peaceful.  
  
Mia was, unintentionally, bored. Very bored. She got up and stretched her hands and legs, flexing her arms and making sure that she didn't pull any muscles anywhere and shook her head, blue hair spilling over her shoulders.  
  
Looking for something to do, she eyed that book Kraden had been so absorbed in, in the past two hours, reading and eating, reading and eating, and she gently pried his fingers off the book and gently placed a fleece cloak in its place.  
  
She propped it open and gently rested her eyes on the first words... (When Sorcery was Destroyed...)  
  
Venus sighed, glaring at the three others, who shied away from their brooding sister. She had been working all night and day, casting spells and enchantments and growling in defeat when it came to nothing. Mercury calmly soothed her, but Venus couldn't stand any more mistakes and mess-ups. If they wanted to win, they had to use their brains, not their muscles—and it didn't help that Cat and Floor had thought them crazy to go against their other five sisters.  
  
(The five sisters that wanted to destroy Weyward...) She brooded, (That's Cat's job, or her name isn't Catastrophe for nothing...) Venus sighed, alarming Jupiter, who practically jumped out of her skin and glared. She stood up, striding in her long golden dress and smoothly changed into armor and pants. She drew out a part of her power and decided to call a meeting.  
  
She knew that they were coming and she had to warn them.

* * *

Alex blinked in confusion, while seated in the main deck, his Djinn seemed to go a bit... wild, tearing at their cages, or bags, and he seriously thought that Serac had gone over head a bit, sulking that much, but he didn't understand Fugue's sudden change in nature. Everything had gone fine, the waves and the sea seemed to agree that they should travel as Alex wanted, and they were sailing smoothly—Fugue was learning well, until the cute little Djinn started tearing and seemed a bit rabid.  
  
(I wonder what's going on...)

* * *

Echo jumped out from the bag, landing smoothly on the plywood floor, and turned around on her squat body and chirped and, one by one, her friends jumped out after her. Her two sisters, Steel and Meld, were beside her as they trudged towards the door, and Echo chirped again. Something started tearing at the air and slowly, a small window was being opened in midair, and on the opposite side, a galaxy of stars and swirling lights danced invitingly to the small Djinn.  
  
Echo wriggled through the opening, her sisters had to push her plump rump through, and they managed, their own momentum back firing at them and they fell, squeaking, into the window. Iron observed his crazy cousins before growling to continue. He, himself, walked into the window (as skinny as he was) and was followed hesitantly by his brother, Mold, who always looked upon his older sibling.  
  
Flower and Salt argued a bit, before deciding that they'd go together, twins who were born small and plump, only about half the size of the others. Flower pushed herself in while Salt complained that she was too fat. "Fat." He said grumpily and Flower retorted, "Stupid."  
  
The last Djinn, who was sitting silently alone, looked around and sighed. Ground got up, he was always alone, after being traded from Isaac and always had to do things by himself. He wished he could play with the other Djinn, or go back to familiar friends and family, but he knew that wasn't going to happen. He jumped in, making sure to close the window, and followed the other Djinn into space.

* * *

(see above)Hahaha! This idea was from one of my reviewers sunruner. THANKS!  
  
Authors Notes: I wonder what Ivan saw...  
  
Felix: I never knew you swore Piers...  
  
Piers: I DON'T!  
  
Isaac: Yeah, right.  
  
Echo: MARCH!  
  
Steel and Meld: grumble  
  
Salt: Fatto!  
  
Flower: Stupid!  
  
Salt: Dumbo!  
  
Flower: THOSE AREN'T EVEN WORDS!!!!! 


	3. Djinn

From the Core

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Chapter 3 - Djinn  
  
Disclaimer: None of my characters and the scenes all take place in Osenia! Yep! The characters are taking a little break before actually lighting the  
lighthouse...

* * *

When Djinn goes... the earth should crumble...

* * *

Catastrophe sneezed noisily; she covered her nose daintily and accepted a handkerchief from Azul who didn't look very well himself. This was due to Flora sitting in front of him, her hands and hair stuffed with pollen- filled flowers, oblivious to the poor Cat, Azul and Charon who all had bad cases of hay fever. Sometimes, Azul thought, I just want to smack her down and burn to a crisp, be no, if I burn her to a crisp no one could summon her... peh. Char seemed to have the worst case. Every time he insisted that he was fine, a loud sneeze would erupt from him, and his hood would fall backwards, which he hastily put on again.  
  
Good Lord... Cat sniffed to herself, I've always wondered why Char has a hood... he does have a handsome face... Venus stepped up onto the stage and cleared her throat, and the gods and 72 Djinn faced her. Venus felt very disturbed; she smoothed her golden dress, and then smoothed it again. "Well, hello, fellow Gods (and mother)! Oh, yes and we welcome you Djinn! You all may be wondering why we invited you here tonight!"  
  
Obviously stinks at speeches... thought Flora, frowning, Good lord, stop stuttering girl! "Ah, yes, let's get to the point... we all know..."

* * *

Blood spilled everywhere, seeking into the carpet, staining the tables and couches and the wind blew fiercely, as if to add to the affect. The tables had been broken, wood chips splintered the ground and a black gooey substance lay everywhere—the walls, the floor, the chairs, and even on the ground that Garet was stepping on. The only thing missing were the bodies.  
  
Jenna lightly fanned Ivan, whose eyes had rolled back in their sockets, his purple cloak tattered and torn. Garet felt bile rise in his throat as he carefully picked through the mess, the black gooey stuff he didn't touch. Ivan suddenly griped the air and Jenna jumped back, as a streak of lightening, menacing and shocking, struck outside, scaring Garet out of his wits. "Ahh...ah..." Ivan struggled a bit, his limbs flailing and he himself looked a bit twisted, like his cloak, "Ahh..."  
  
Jenna hastily picked up her bag and threw it at Ivan, which hit him in the forehead, a thud echoing and all stopped. Ivan trembled, and then fell to the ground, where the blood eagerly suck in the cloth of his clothes. Garet widened as he realized something... "JENNA! Get OUT! I-it's the BLOOD!" Jenna did not understand at first, her face masked with confusion and worry, until she shrieked, letting go of Ivan, stumbling out. Garet, panicking, took Ivan by the sleeve and dragged him along, undressing the cloak and shirt that had been stained with the blood, and threw it at the black substance, quickly running outside, and Ivan along with him.  
  
Where the blood had touched him, Ivan's skin was blistered and burned and Jenna hastily used healing aura on the other two and herself. A light suddenly burst out, into the darkness and they could hear a villager's voice—"Hello? Hello? I heard screaming..."  
  
"We're here!" Jenna yelled, focusing, and a blaze struck out in the grass, "We're here!"

* * *

Piers sighed worriedly, gazing out at the setting sun, where hot fiery golden colors were fiercely glowering, and looked back to the dark brunette who groaned as he toppled over. Felix had a bad case of seasickness and was crudely attempting to disguise it, but it seemed the Mercury Adept could see right through his mask, and he helped him up and onto the chair.  
  
"You should really get pills, you know." Piers chided him gently, and Felix just growled. Setting the younger man down, Piers cast a quick ply on him, and then mixed a remedy for seasickness. "You really should be a doctor." Felix said between gritted teeth. Piers ignored him and made him take the remedy.  
  
Felix bit him.  
  
"OW!" Piers pulled back, instinctively putting his bitten fingers into water, then to him mouth, and glared at Felix—"You better not have rabies or anything." Felix cackled and got up, then groaned and pulled the rough blanket over his head again. "Ha, you deserve it." Piers muttered. Felix just cursed.  
  
Isaac sat outside, his legs crossed, his golden hair blowing playfully as he hummed a tune he had been taught when he was little. A sad smile played upon his lips, and he tried to brush it away. "Sometimes..." He sighed, "Sometimes... I wish..."

* * *

Iris felt as if she would scream bloody murder in minutes. Or maybe tearing her hair out would be better. Djinn were frisking around the room, blowing things to pieces, some cackling insanely and some, sane ones, mind you, sitting down playing chess. Charon looked harassed, with the two Mars twins, Char and Coal, hanging onto his cloak, pleading to see his face. Flora was cooing at the 'cute little Djinn', who were, mainly, Gust, Whorl, and Blitz, which were probably the most hyper. Venus was trying to calm everyone down, but Mercury and Jupiter, both drunk, had gone into the frenzy, too, flirting with Anzul and Haurus, then making sure to show... inappropriate parts to the others, embarrassing the other two sisters, who gritted their teeth.  
  
Iris couldn't stand it anymore.  
  
"EVERYBODY SHUDDAP!!!!!" She shrieked at the frizzy-faced crowd and everyone silenced as the Mistress of the Gods stood up and snarled at them... "This is a MEETING! NOT A SOCIAL CALL!!!! EVERYONE SIT DOWN!!!" Everyone was assembled back into his or her places, most Djinn had their heads hung down guiltily, and the boatman Charon was eternally grateful of her intrusion.  
  
Iris snapped back into focus and glared at all 72 Djinn and snarled, "The book Coal." Obviously, it seemed that Djinn could talk more freely in this world then Weyward. Coal seemed to bow his head, shifting his feet nervously and Iris again, "The BOOK Coal." Coal looked up, his blue eyes clouded.  
  
"Err... there was a...um...small... problem and we- heh, heh- we...." Coal choked nervously, praying that Iris wouldn't detect what he was trying to say. Note to Coal—not even one who was as daft as cardboard would've missed it.  
  
"YOU LOST THE BOOK!!!!!!!!!" Iris bellowed, and the gods all winced...  
  
"Well it wasn't our fault!" Coal argued back, "We dozed off a bit until we heard squeaking and then Echo..." A shriek let out from the other side of the room as the addressed Djinn haughtily stuck her face out, "LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS COAL!!!"  
  
Iris was very annoyed at the Djinn now... she was itching to kill someone...

* * *

Sighing, Jenna groped blindly for the slick turner on the oil lamp; the darkness had settled over the group and she stumbled and tripped clumsily over small, slippery rocks and stones that seemed to be increasing every step she took. Ivan's back was scarred and red, he groaned painfully as Garet helped him to the kind farmer's home—the rain had subsided by they weren't sure when it'll start up again. Killing Blood that was—a monster that could take on three forms, liquid, gas, or solid. For once, that dumb- head Garet had actually remembered something.  
  
The light was comforting- it bathed them in its shallow warmth and soothing voices came from the two woman that helped them down, one dressed in a soft fleece and another in a thick cloth. They hushed the group and made them sit down- Jenna was eternally grateful for the help they were receiving, and she wondered, for once in this day, HOW Felix and them left without them.  
  
(Maybe they thought we were onboard and didn't notice until they were far, far, away...) She thought gloomily, (And I wonder if... no, Mia would've fought off the Killing Blood enough for them to go... I wonder where they are...) She shivered, feeling slight goosebumps running up her muddy arm, and she realized that she needed to bathe and quick.  
  
She signaled for one of the women, and asked her lowly if she could use the bathing room, and she must've looked quite pitiful, with her slick auburn hair stuck to her scalp and her shallow eyes which looked as dark as [censor]'s darkest pit. The woman giggled and led Jenna to the bathroom, where she could think. The walls were smooth as marble and as gray as her brother's eyes. The pool was steaming slightly, making her feel hot and fidgety. She wondered if Ivan was feeling any better, and she let herself drift into a soft nap in the pool...

* * *

She ran her hands around the wall, feeling deep cracks, scorch marks, and loose rocks that came out by her hand. Silently, she offered a blistered hand to the old man, whose face was smudged with dirt and grime and they climbed up the rocky wall together, griping for ledges and cracks to set their feet into.  
  
She had been able to hold it off for a while. It had oozed onto her skin, and every limb in her body had screamed 'PAIN'. "Kraden?" She choked out hoarsely, "Are you alright." There was a brief cough and several nods and they set off again- there were less cracks now and the wall was smoother. Mia found the top of the wall and winced as she climbed onto her burnt legs and got up. She had had no time to cast a quick wish on her injuries, but she readily pulled Kraden up and cast it.  
  
Kraden fell asleep right away; he lay down in his blood-soaked coat and started to snore. Mia frowned sadly. The day had begun so perfectly... and she knew that Killing Blood wasn't around here. It was somewhere else...  
  
(I guess this was what Isaac meant when he said we were going to train before lighting the Mars lighthouse...) she grumbled to herself, (Yeesh, some training...)

TBC...

* * *

Authors Notes: Not very funny... it explains some things though... I SWEAR THE NEXT CHAPTER WOULD BE BETTER!!!!!!!!!  
  
Iris: YOU LOST IT!  
  
Coal: IT WAS ECHO'S FAULT!  
  
Echo: WHAT?! DON'T BLAME IT ON ME!!!!  
  
Char: WILL YOU ALL SHADDUP!!!!!!??????? 


End file.
